Stores Choosing To Sell Illegal CBD Oil Despite Warning

The state of Iowa is finally getting into the medicinal marijuana business. The state approved five Iowa cities recently for locations where people will be able to buy approved medicinal products. But those locations won't be open until December. People who can't wait are turning to a product called CBD oil. And even though it is still illegal in Iowa, some stores are still carrying the product.

CBD oil is similar to marijuana but is instead made from hemp, which is supposed to not contain THC, the chemical that causes the high. One store selling CBD is The Corner Store Apothecary and More in Cedar Rapids. The store's owner told KCRG that he suffers from epilepsy and got his life back because of CBD oil. They continue to sell the product despite a warning from the Iowa Department of Health. They say that any CBD product sold in Iowa is illegal if it is not produced under the program being implemented by the state.

So county attorneys could seize the product if they choose to. It happened in Muscatine County. The county attorney there tested a similar product and said it found traces of marijuana. Companies that make CBD oil are trying to change minds and are even lobbying at the Iowa State Capital. They say that properly manufactured CBD oil contains no THC and they welcome further testing.

The department of health is leaving it up to local law enforcement to decide what to do about CBD oil in their counties. New regulations regarding medicinal marijuana in Iowa go into effect next year. And while I'm happy we're finally heading in the right direction, this is another example of how Iowa is behind the times when it comes to medicinal marijuana.